Frostpunk 2 gets PC release date and tantalizing new trailer

A city in Frostpunk 2 teeming with industry

(Image credit: 11 Bit Studios)

Developer 11 bit studios has dropped a brand new trailer for the post-apocalyptic strategy game, Frostpunk 2, as part of yesterday's (March 6, 2024) Xbox Partner Prevewi event teasing a range of interesting new features before revealing a PC release date.

Frostpunk 2 will be arriving on PC on 25 July, and will also be getting a day-one launch on Xbox Game Pass for PC. Though the game is also slated for release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, we have yet to receive any news as to when the strategy title will be arriving on console. Like the critically acclaimed fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Baldur's Gate 3 last year, it looks as though Frostpunk 2 will be staggering its release.

Set 30 years after the original Frostpunk, the sequel looks like it could be going in a slightly different direction. Though the world is still covered in a chilling, apocalyptic storm, the main antagonist in Frostpunk 2 is the city itself. Now that humanity is back on its feet, different factions have emerged that seek to take the city in different political directions. As the player, you'll need to manage these interests and keep the ship of state from sinking.

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The latest trailer shows off two of these factions: the hard-bitten Icebloods and the pragmatic Technocrats. The former are a group of grizzled survivors who believe in survival of the fittest while the Technocrats believe in equality through technological innovation. It's easy to see how even these two groups might soon find themselves at each other's throats.

The trailer also gives us a glimpse of some of the events that can trigger based on your decisions. At the 25-second mark, we see a protest from the Icebloods, alongside four options for the player to choose from in response. These sorts of decision points could make for some gripping emergent narratives reminiscent of celebrated strategy offerings Stellaris and Crusader Kings 3.

Pre-orders are available now through Steam.

Want more Frostpunk-alikes to play in the meantime? Check out our roundups of the best PC strategy games and the best survival games.

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An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.

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